Since that day, Chi You had been confined to her room, rarely venturing out.
However, Liu Rongruo insisted on dragging her into various activities every day upon his return.
She was frequently listless and drowsy, often napping on the daybed.
The lotus flowers in the pond outside the courtyard had bloomed, filling the entire water body.
Several goldfish, transported from elsewhere, were kept within, leaping about vibrantly.
Lying on the daybed, she could see the scenery in the courtyard.
Several Manchurian flowers had been transplanted outside the courtyard, remarkably similar to the Yeshiming from their Western Regions. They exuded an aura of pure jade-white skin, blooming in clusters and bunches within the courtyard. A few branches extended under the eaves, their fragrance permeating the air.
Chi You watched quietly for a while, then withdrew her gaze.
She touched the bracelet on her wrist, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Liu Rongruo was suspicious by nature and always stared intently at her bracelet. If she didn't plan carefully, and he discovered her schemes, given his temperament, he might very well kill her.
How could she get him to ingest it?
Placing it in food was the lowest form of poisoning, and it was also easily discovered.
She had been skilled in controlling poisons since childhood; she could transmit them with her breath, with her gaze. But he was inherently cautious; she needed to devise a proper plan.
"Miss, would you like to go for a walk?"
Suddenly, a maidservant entered from outside.
Chi You turned to look at the person, and the face of Qiu Zhu suddenly flashed in her mind. In Da Liang, there were few who were truly sincere towards her. She wondered how Qiu Zhu was doing.
"Miss."
Chi You snapped back to attention, lying languidly on the daybed, refusing to move.
"No need. Go down."
Recently, with the impending grand wedding of that beast, the mansion was adorned with lanterns and festive lights.
What was there for her to see? Did they not think she was bad luck?
"Miss has been lying down all day. Going for a walk would be good for your health."
Chi You knitted her brows and looked at her. "I said, no. Go down!"
Seeing her voice turn sharp, the maidservant trembled and quickly withdrew.
Don't think she didn't know what they were up to. She didn't have the leisure to play their games.
However, this group of women was truly troublesome.
Chi You pondered for a moment, and then decided to bring it up directly with Liu Rongruo when he returned for lunch.
"For a Prime Minister to allow his fiancée's influence in his own main residence, truly incompetent."
Liu Rongruo paused his chopsticks, mid-way through picking up food, and looked at her.
"Your sister, your fiancée, and your collection of concubines are all very bothersome."
Seeing the undisguised disdain and annoyance in her eyes, Liu Rongruo remained silent.
Chi You assumed he was defending them and became even more annoyed.
Qin Yunshang was about to marry into the household, and already they were making moves against her. If that woman married in, wouldn't she become even more brazen?
She absolutely had to leave this wretched place before that woman arrived.
"Bai Ze."
Suddenly, the person in front spoke.
Chi You looked up and saw Bai Ze entering from outside.
"Sir."
"Replace all the people in the courtyard with family retainers."
Bai Ze paused. "Yes."
Chi You blinked and picked up her chopsticks again to eat.
She had been eating a lot lately.
The cooks in this mansion had excellent skills and could even make Western Region dishes. She felt like she was getting rounder and rounder from eating.
"I'm going to the imperial palace to soak in the hot springs in a couple of days. Do you want to come?"
Hearing his voice, Chi You's hand, holding the soup spoon, paused, and she then shook her head.
"No."
"Qing Ge has also returned from the south. You seemed to get along quite well with her; you can play together then."
Chi You's eyes darkened. In Da Liang, she had no friends, no family, and no lover. Her beloved brother A Yun was not even known to be where.
She was confined to this courtyard every day, like a walking corpse.
She suddenly glanced at her slender wrist, her eyes sinking.
Liu Rongruo glanced at her and said nothing more.
They ate in silence.
After the meal, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the inner chambers.
The layered curtains descended, filling the room with a sensual atmosphere.
Chi You had thought of many methods recently, but none had worked.
That day, she glanced at the gossamer-thin silk in the cabinet and took it out.
As night deepened, she sent away the people outside the courtyard and entered the bathhouse behind the residence.
In the Central Plains, there were many palace scented soaps made with spices. Washing the entire body with them would leave a lingering fragrance, or one could take a flower petal bath.
She used to dislike using such things, but this time, she was going all out.
After bathing, she applied something she had retrieved from her bracelet to her body. It gave off a faint, ethereal scent. Moments later, she sat before the dressing table, pinning up her hair and applying makeup. The hazy mirror reflected her alluring eyes, a beauty that was breathtaking.
The moonlight outside poured into the garden. When Liu Rongruo returned, he found no one at the door. He pushed it open and entered the inner chambers.
Behind the beaded curtain, she wore a thin, pale pink silk gown. Her delicate hands emerged from her sleeves, and she sat on a chair like a boneless creature, drinking wine, her cheeks flushed.
Seeing his figure, her long, alluring, and captivating eyes tilted slightly upwards, casting a glance at him, like wisps of hooks, emanating a charming allure.
He lifted the beaded curtain to look at her. His phoenix-like bones were as cold and pure as the moon in the sky. She tilted her head and smiled at him, staggering as she stood up with her wine.
Her dark tresses were casually tied with a red hair ornament. As she walked, she exuded a lazy, enchanting aura. Especially the lotus hairpin adorned on her forehead and her ruby-red lips, which made her appear even more captivating.
"Do you want to drink?"
She stumbled into his embrace, her slender, soft hand holding the wine cup towards him and smiling.
This smile was enough to ensnare one's soul.
Liu Rongruo supported her. Smelling the wine on her, he grabbed the nape of her neck.
"Who allowed you to drink."
Fragrant smoke curled from the golden qilin beast censer, masking the scent on her body.
But now that they were so close, it was difficult for him not to smell it.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, lifted her waist, and bent his head to smell her.
"What have you put on your body?"
Chi You leaned against him, her body as soft as if it had no bones. One hand reached up to his shoulder, while the other held the wine, feeding it towards his mouth.
"It's the scented soap from your Central Plains. Does it smell good?"
She tilted her neck slightly to look at him, laughing as if flowers were blooming, her eyes and brows conveying an enchanting charm that captivated the soul.
Liu Rongruo lowered his eyelids to look at her. She also met his gaze, her bright and clear eyes full of smiles.
"I'm so bored. Keep me company and drink with me."
Her eyes reddened, and she hugged him, acting spoiled. The wine in her hand rubbed against his lips.
Liu Rongruo pulled back slightly, his gaze unreadable.
"Bored?"
"Yes. I miss home. I want to go back to Southern Xinjiang."
Her lustrous red lips touched his neck, and she spoke incoherently.
"You've trapped me here and toyed with me. I don't know anyone, and it's so unbearable."
Liu Rongruo's heart stirred slightly.
He was silent for a moment, then lowered his gaze to look at her and asked softly.
"Don't you like the capital?"
Chi You leaned into his embrace. Her lowered eyes concealed any change in her expression; only a faint moan could be heard.
"I like the capital. My brother is here."